KUÉLAP, PERU—Colombia One reports that archaeologists made new discoveries at the site of Kuélap, high in the mountains of the country’s Amazonas region. Known for its massive stone walls, the settlement was founded 10,000 feet above sealevel in the sixth century a.d. by the mysterious Chachapoya civilization, sometimes referred to as the “Warriors of the Clouds.” In a newly investigated part of the site known as Research Area No. 1, a team from the Kuélap Archaeological Research Program explored six circular stone features arranged around a central courtyard. One of these contained an aboveground tomb known as a chulpa that is commonly found in the Andean highlands. The structure still held human remains and several finely crafted funerary objects, including a polished stone ax and a slate pendant etched with geometric patterns. Other artifacts included stone fragments and small traces of metal, which may have been used during farewell rituals before the site was abandoned around 1570, following the arrival of Spanish conquistadors. The discovery suggests that the burials were not random, but were organized with specific cultural traditions attached to them. The new findings could offer additional clues about how Chachapoya families and communities were organized. For more on the Chachapoyas, go to "Around the World: Peru."
